The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-06-03

teenth century-the emancipation and
Acknowledgement of a race.
It was the deep undertone of liberty
and justice taught by the fathers of the
country and in the schools and churches
of our land which cemented us together
as one man when the news that Sumpter
had fallen echoed through the North-a
unity upon which the South did not
count. Such a volunteer army the
world had never seen. Armed and
equipped for the conflict, they went for
ward, bearing aloft our cherished flag.
With the motto of " Freedom and
Union" upon their lips, they severed the
ties that bound them to loved ones
some of them forever-and with strong
arm preserved us as a nation. Twas
no holiday sport, no pleasant task,
They saw before them danger and
death, but seeing and feeling that the
nations life required it, they went.
alas some of them to return no more.
In the hospitals in Washington, prior
to August, 1864, 15,412 white and 6.328
colored soldiers died in Alexandria
1897 whites and 229 blacks, and in the
Andersonville prison pen 1928 Union
soldiers were buried, and in Richmond
10000; while in Nashville there were
81 ,631 Union soldiers graves, and on the
Spottsylvania battle field and in the
Wilderness there were in August 64.785
marked and Us unmarked graves.
In this cemetery lie few ofthe brave
men who twenty-five years ago were in
life and health, looking forward, no
doubt, as we do to-day, to future full of
hope. Every state in the North at least
has its dead. Perhaps not all the
graves to-day will be decorated, but
most will be, though the relatives may
not be present but those living in dis
tant states will rejoice to know that the
grave of their husband, their son. their
brother or their lover, was this day be-
decked with flowers by the patriotic
ladies and gentlemen here assembled
The names of all this army that slum-
bers in the cemetery are not known.
/" Unknown" is written for many a name,
but they are not unknown to fame.
Their deeds were known and recognized
they fell with face to the foe. Their
blood helps moisten the roots of the
tree of American liberty, and their
memory will ever be cherished by a
grateful people. Somebody did know
them. Some mothers heart bled when
she read of the battle of Fort Donaldson,
and that her boy was missing. Some
wife who gave her husband up to guard
her home and protect his country's FLAG
mourns to-day that she knows not the
spot where her companion sleeps.
Some child to-day, as he or she gathers
the flowers for other graves and gently
strews them, says, ooh, that I knew
where my papa was buried p Oh! that
there We're some way of telling the rela.
tives of these unknown slumberers TO-DAY
that your kind hands have cast q flower
upon their darling's grave, and that
these eyes moistened, as you asked
"Who are thesew But the day is com.
ing I believe land it's a comfort to be.
lieve it), when we shall " know as we are
known" Mothers will see their boys
again, not bleeding and wounded, moi
with skeleton form and shaking bones
dying with starvation, but in the likeness
of the Creator of us all. To these
known and unknown, these sainted
heroes, we owe our homes, our Union
our country and our freedom. We can
not repay them; but we can halloN
their memory.
On my country, what a record we
would have here before us to-day if the
history of even a few that sleep here was
unrolled before us. Who could read il
without becoming choked with emotion
Who could hear it with fearless eyes?
| It's well for us at times to reflect up
on the cost of our liberties-not wha
they cost in paltry money, for the life
of your boy, bereaved mother, the sacri
flee that you offered upon your country's
altar, was greater than can be measured
by dollars and cents. All the gold O
Ophir, with the diamonds of Golconds
and wealth of the Indies combined, hac
they been yours, you would have freely
given them all to have seen your boy
come home to cheer your pathway OF
through life's journey. And yours il
but one among the hundreds of thou
sands that were slain in consequence O
the late rebellion. While the putin.
down the opposition to the Government
cost us treasure enough to have pur
chased the whole Western Continent
this is not to be thought of for mo
ment. There have been greater sacri
fees. We have shed blood enough tc
| dye our Atlantic and Pacific shores, anc
tinge our mighty rivers with crimson
and endured misery enough to spread {
deathly palor over every cheek for til,
next two hundred years. We hav,
sacrificed to liberty the noble life O
Lincoln, one of the two who stand first
on the list of our honored ones. We
have laid such men as Baker, McPher
son, Mitchell, Smith, Lyon, McCook anc
Sedgwick upon the altar, as well as hun
dreds of other brave leaders, as noble
and brave and as fervently remembered
But this is not 1.-THE of what we have
suffered.
Borrow the recording angels bool
and visit every mile of our land from The
Atlantic to the Pacific and from the
lakes to the gulf if you would know the
whole cost. Count not simply the
graves here, but count all that are strewr
thickly along beneath the sunny skies oil
the misguided states. Pause at each
and consult the book, and read of the
bodily pain, the heart achings and the
noble love of country that lie buried
there. Turn back page or two. See
how disease, and wounds, and imprison-
ment, and work, and want, changed the
form and weakened the frame of the
noble youth, but could not crush the spir-
it. Now turn again. Here on this page,
above the dark line drawn by the angels
pen, is the closing scene. Read it if you
are not already blinded with tears.
"The battle was raging fercely when he
was borne back wounded to the rear,
and left beneath tree. He made no
moan, but as the life-blood gurgled from
his side his thoughts went home to the
dear ones far away. He murmured
their names and thought it hard to die.
An hour passed. long and dreary
hour. His comrades were chasing the
routed enemy; his dying face lit up
with smile TO see the victory achieved,
but he was left in the rear Of the vic
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